Door swinging and latching mechanism for garment cylinders



Jan. 31, 10 J. J. MIKSHEL 2,496,011 DOOR SWINGING AND LATCHING MECHANISM FOR GARMENT CYLINDERS Filed Aug. 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mww W V INVENTOR. I W BY V Jan. 31, MO J. J. MIKSHEL DOOR SWINGING AND LATCHING MECHANISM FOR GARMENT CYLINDERS 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1944 HTTUA A/EVLS".

0 U W O 0 Patented Jan. 31, 1950 DOOR SWINGING AND LATCHING MECH- ANISM FOR GARMENT CYLINDERS John J. Milrshel, Chicago, 111., assignor to Kling Bros. Engineering Works, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 21, 1944, Serial No. 550,407

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in door swinging and latching mechanism for garment cylinders.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved door structure for garment cylinders of the type wherein the cylinder is rotatable on a horizontal axis and wherein the garment opening is in an end wall. The invention is particularly well adapted for use in connection with cylinders having a large garment opening adapted to be closed by a relatively large and heavy door, wherein the door must rotate with the cylinder, but be easily movable to an out of the way position to completely expose the garment opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described having easily laccessible manually operable means for locking the door in closed position, part of said locking mechanism being rotatably supported on the frame at the center of the door, and part being supported on the door, and the arrangement being such that the door may nevertheless rotate with the cylinder when the door is in closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a construction as above described, means whereby the door may he quickly swung from closed position, through an arc of approximately 90, to a position at one side of the exterior of re cylinder.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved supporting arm arrangement, the arm being pivotall connected to the cylinder supporting frame, and means whereby the door may also be pivotally moved on the upper end of the supporting arm.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved door swinging and latching mechanism for garment cylinders,

and all its parts and combinations, as set forth show the latch structure, and the dot-anddash lines indicating an open position of the door;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the door supporting arm alone.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral It designates a suitable supporting frame having legs H. Spaced bearings l2, near one side of the frame, rotatably support a shaft 13, and spaced bearings M, near the other side of the machine, rotatably support a shaft 15.

A motor it, or other source of motion, may transmit rotating movement through endless belt ll to a pulley l8 rigidly mounted on a stud shaft 19. Through a gear 20, rigidly mounted on the stud shaft 19, which meshes with a gear 2! on the shaft 53, the latter shaft is driven. The stud shaft IS also has a sprocket wheel 22 thereon, which is connected by an endless chain 23 with a sprocket wheel 25 rigidly mounted on a stud shaft 25. The latter shaft is suitably geared to the shaft l5 to drive the latter in unison with the shaft E3. The shafts l3 and 15 have rigidly mounted thereon drum supporting rollers 26.

A washing cylinder or drum 2! is positioned for rotation on a horizontal axis. The drum is equipped with external peripheral bands or tracks 28 which are coopera'ble with the flanged rollers 25. It is apparent that rotation of the roller supporting shafts l3 and i5 will, through the medium of the rollers 26, cause rotation of the drum in a selected direction depending upon the direction of rotation of the prime mover 16.

The peripheral wall portion 29 of the cylinder is preferably imiperforate, and the front end is provided with a loadin and discharge opening 353. In the washing machine illustrated, the diameter of the opening 36 is nearly as great as the diameter of the cylinder. This renders the: door construction particularly useful in connection with the unloading mechanism described in pending application of Olaf E. Kling, Serial No. 549,971, filed August 18, 1944. The present invention, however, is suitable for use in connection with smaller doors and in garment cylinders other than washing machines.

The opening 30 is adapted to be closed by a circular door 3!. The door 3! includes a ring 32 having a tapered peripheral flange 33. There is a center hub portion 34 connected by radial arms 35 with the ring 32. The arms 35 are preferably channel shaped in cross section to form channels 35 on the inner side. The hub member 34 is also dished on its inner side to provide a circular recess Within which a disc 31 is rotatable. An inner closure sheet 38 is bolted, as at 39, to the inner side of the flange 32.

Movable in the door channels 36 between the connecting arms 35 and the inner sheet 38 are latch rods 40, having latches M at their outer ends. These latches are operable through openings 42 in flange 33 to co-act with a circular groove M in the door frame. In Fig. 2 one of the latches is illustrated in looking position. The inner ends of the latch arms 40 are pivotally connected, as at 45, with the central disc 31. The disc 37 is rigidly connected to the inner end of a shaft 56, and the latter is rotatable in a bearing 4?, positioned adjacent the front of the :door and centrally thereof. The shaft 46 and disc 31 may be partially rotated through the operation of a hand wheel 38 to cause an inward pull on the latching rods All and unlocking of the door. When the hand wheel 38 is turned in the reverse direction, the latches are moved to locking position. When the door is closed and in locked condition, it may rotate with the cylinder, and during such rotation, the hub 34 turns with respect to the fixed bearing Al, and the shaft 46 and hand wheel 58 also rotate.

A door swinging arm, designated generally by the numeral as, has an L-shaped horizontal bottom portion 58, the inner end of which has an opening 5i. Said inner end portion may be bent, as at 52, in Fig. 3. Projectin upwardly from the outer end of the L-shaped bottom portion 53 is an upright arm portion 53. At the extreme upper end of the portion 53 is an upwardly projecting pin 54, which is rotatable in a sleeve 55 projecting downwardly from the bearing 41.

A pivot pin 55, which is suitably supported in a vertical position on the frame ID, as shown in Fig. 1, extends through the opening 5| in the inner end of the door swinging arm so that the arm is swingable on said pin 56.

The construction illustrated is, as before mentioned, a washing cylinder. The invention, however, is equally applicable to drying cylinders or other rotatable garment handling drums. In the washing cylinder illustrated, washing liquids may be suitably delivered through axiall arrange-d pipes 5! and 58 into an auxiliary chamber 59. From the auxiliary chamber this liquid can pass through a perforated partition 60 into the main washing chamber. Longitudinally extending garment lifting ribs 6i may :be employed in the cylinder. The details of the cylinder structure form no. part of the present invention and will not, therefore, be described in greater detail.

When it is desired to start a washing operation the hand wheel 48 is manipulated to release the latches ii. Then, by pulling outwardly on the hand wheel, the door supporting arm portion 58 may be swung on the pivot 56 to cause the arm to assume the open position, shown by dotand-dash lines in Fig. 1. Due to the fact that the door is supported on the upper end of the upright arm portion 53, it will, of course, be swung with the arm. During the swinging movement, however, the door may be independently rotated on the vertical pin 54 to ultimatel bring the door to a position adjacent one side of the cylinder, as illustrated by dot-and-dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2. When in this position the door is entirely out of the way, and the front garment opening 36 is completely exposed so that loading and unloading can be performed Without interference.

A reversal of the above operation may be performed to close the door. When the door is closed and locked it will rotate with the cylinder while the shaft 45 rotates in the bearing 41.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a laundry machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame and havin an end opening, :a door for said opening, door supporting means pivotally connected to said frame and including an arm projecting toward the center of the door, a bearing member pivotally supported on the end of said arm adjacent said door for pivotal movement on a vertical axis, a shaft journaled in said bearing member and having one end extending axially into the door and effecting a rotatable connection between said door and arm bearing, means on the other end of the shaft providing for manual rotation of the latter, latches for locking said door to said cylinder, and means connected between said shaft and latches and moved in response to partial rotation of said shaft for operating said latches.

2. In a laundry machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame and having an end opening, a door for said opening, door sup-porting means pivotally connected to said frame and including an arm projecting toward the center of the door, a bearing member pivotally supported on the end of said arm adjacent said door for pivotal movement on a vertical axis, a shaft journaled in said bearing member and having one end extending axially into the door and effecting a rotatable connection between said door and arm bearing, a disc connected to said end of the shaft, means on the other end of the shaft providing for manual rotation thereof, latches for locking said door to said cylinder, and means connected between said shaft and latches and moved in response to partial rotation of said shaft and disc for operating said latches.

3. In a laundry machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame and having an end opening, a door for said opening, door supporting means pivotally connected to said frame and including an arm projecting toward the center of the door, a bearing member pivotally supported on the end of said arm adjacent said door for pivotal movements on a vertical axis, a shaft journaled in said bearing memher and having one end extending axially into the door and effecting a rotatable connection between said door and arm bearing, a disc connected to said end of the shaft, means on the other end of the shaft providing for manual rotation thereof, radially extending rods pivoted at their inner ends of said disc, and latches connected to the outer ends of said rods and movable into and out of locking engagement with said cylinder in response to partial rotation of said shaft and disc.

4. In a laundr machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame on a horizontal axis and having an end opening, a door for said opening, door supporting means having a bent arm portion pivotally connected to the frame below the bottom of the cylinder for swinging movement in a horizontal plane and having a vertically projecting extension portion connected to said door to support the latter for swinging movement on an axis extending at right angles to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, said bent arm portion of the supporting means being so shaped and the axis being so positioned that the vertically projecting extension portion is swingable from a door closing position to a vertical-1y disposed position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof with at least the major portion of the door projecting rearwardly from the end of the cylinder having the opening, means at the center of the door rotatably connecting the door to the extension portion of the door supporting means for rotation on a horizontal axis, a swivel connection between said connecting means and said extension portion disposed to provide for rotation of the door around the longitudinal axis of said extension portion, and means for locking the door when in closed position.

5. In a laundry machine, a frame; a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame on a horizontal axis and having an end opening; a door for said opening; door supporting means extending downwardly from the center of the door when the latter is closed, then inwardly in a plane below the cylinder, and then toward the side of the frame where it is pivotally connected to the frame by a pivot which extends at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of the cylinder whereby said door supporting means is swingable on said pivot to move the door from a closed position to a position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof; the connection between the door supporting means and door providing for notation of the door with the cylinder; and means for locking the door in closed position.

6. In a laundry machine, a frame; a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame on a horizontal axis and having an end opening; a door for said opening; door supporting means extending downwardl along the vertical center line of the door when the latter is closed, then inwardly in a plane below the cylinder, and then toward the side of the frame Where it is pivotally connected to the frame by a pivot which extends at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of the cylinder whereby said door supporting means is swingable on said pivot to move the door from a closed position to a position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof; the connection between the door supporting means and door providing for rotation of the door with the cylinder; and means for locking the door in closed position.

'7. In a laundry machine, a frame; a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame on a horizontal axis and having an end opening; a door for said opening; door supporting means extending downwardly along the vertical center line of the door when the latter is closed, then inwardly in a plane below the cylinder, and then toward the side of the frame where it is pivotally connected to the frame by a pivot which extends at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of the cylinder whereby said door supporting means is swingable on said pivot to move the door from a closed position to a position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof; a horizontal pivot embodied in the connection between the door supporting means and door providing for rotation of the door with the cylinder, and a pivot on an upright axis also embodied in said connection to provide for independent pivotal movement of the door around the axis [if said downwardly extendin part of the door supporting means in any position of the latter.

8. In a laundry machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on a horizontal axis on said frame and having an end opening, a door for said opening, door supporting means including an L-shaped portion disposed in a horizontal plane below the cylinder, one leg of said L-shaped portion extending outwardly toward a side of the frame when the door is closed and being pivotally connected to the frame for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane, and the other leg of said L-shaped portion, when the door is closed, extending outwardly toward that end of the frame which is adjacent the door opening, and said door supporting means including an arm portion projecting upwardly from the last mentioned leg of said L-shaped portion toward the center of the door and connected thereto to support the door for swinging movement, the pivotal connection of said L-shaped portion with the frame being so located that the door is swingable from a closing position to a position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof, the connection between the projecting arm and door including means whereby the door may rotate with the cylinder, and means for locking the door in closed position.

9. In a laundry machine, a frame, a garment cylinder supported for rotation on said frame on a horizontal axis and having an end opening, a door for said opening, door supportin means including a bent arm portion pivotally connected at its inner end to the frame for swinging movement in a horizontal plane and including an arm portion projecting vertically from said bent arm portion toward the center of the door, means including a pivot whose axis is vertical and extends radially of the door for connecting the door to the outer end of said vertically projecting arm portion; said bent arm portion being so constructed and the pivotal connection of the bent arm portion with the frame being so located that the vertically projecting arm portion is swing-able from a door closing position to a vertically disposed position separated from the cylinder and at one side thereof, a horizontal pivot also embodied in the connection between the vertically projecting arm portion and door whereby the door may rotate with the cylinder, and means for locking the door in closed position, said vertically projecting arm portion being relatively narrow and extending axially of the radial pivot between said arm and the door whereby the door may be independently pivoted around the vertically projecting arm portion as it is being swung by said arms so that aid door may be disposed between said arms and the side of the cylinder.

JOHN J. MIKSI-IEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,197,702 Williams Sept. 12, 1916 1,436,427 Banks Nov. 21, 1922 1,450,615 Sheehan Apr. 3, 1923 1,465,906 Holloway Aug. 21, 1923 1,533,596 Hinkel Apr. 1 1, 1925 2,288,930 Zimarik July 7, 1942 

